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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Letter dated
28 September 2012 from the Secretary-General addressed

to the
President of the Security Council

I have the
honour to transmit a letter dated 18 September 2012 from Mr.
Dioncounda Traoré, interim President of the Republic of Mali, and
Mr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali (see
annex). The letter requests the adoption of a resolution by the
Security Council, under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter,
authorizing the deployment of an international military force to Mali
to assist the Malian army in restoring the territorial integrity of
the country.

I should be
grateful if you would bring the present letter and its annex to the
attention of the members of the Security Council.

(Signed) BAN
Ki-moon

Letter
dated 18 September 2012 from the interim President and the Prime
Minister of Mali addressed to the Secretary-General

Sir,

For several
months, Mali has been facing an unprecedented security crisis in the
northern part of the country. Three regions in the North have been
occupied by armed groups including terrorists, drug traffickers and
criminals of every sort.

Those groups
have been violating the most basic rights of the population on a
daily basis. In particular, they have carried out summary executions,
looting and rape, as well as destroying historic monuments in Gao and
Timbuktu. The humanitarian situation is alarming and growing worse by
the day.

In view of
the intensification of criminal and terrorist activities in northern
Mali, which pose an immediate and ultimately global security risk, I
requested the help of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) on 1 September 2012 in connection with the liberation of the
northern territories and the fight against terrorism and other
illicit activities.

I hereby
request the adoption of a United Nations Security Council resolution
authorizing the intervention of an international military force under
Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to assist
the Malian Army in recapturing the occupied northern regions.

The
Government of Mali would appreciate the immediate presence of such a
force in order to support Mali’s defence and security forces in
exercising their sovereign missions of regaining control, preserving
territorial integrity and protecting persons and property.

I should like
to take this opportunity to reiterate the gratitude of the people and
Government of Mali to ECOWAS, the African Union and the United
Nations for their constant efforts towards a lasting solution to the
Malian crisis, which also endangers stability in the subregion,
Africa and beyond.

I should be
grateful if you could circulate this letter to the members of the
Security Council.